


Mercenary Sniper

by Featherhead



Category: Rockman X | Mega Man X, Rockman | Mega Man - All Media Types
Genre: Language, M/M, Spider has a foul mouth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-24
Updated: 2017-06-08
Packaged: 2018-11-04 12:19:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 21
Words: 10,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10990818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Featherhead/pseuds/Featherhead
Summary: In an effort to nail down my Cedar-muse, I asked some friends for prompts to write drabbles about Cedar. These are what I came up with.





	1. "Is there a reason you're naked in my bed?"

**Author's Note:**

> ((I would like to make a note that much of the characterization for Cedar has been borrowed from the characterizations and headcanons developed by [Socket](http://sockettoem.tumblr.com/). She's developed him into such a wonderful and rich character, you should check her stuff out. :D))

Cedar sighed softly as he made his way to his quarters. It had been a rough night. He'd found a good place to set up to wait for his target, only for it to start storming. And when the target had finally shown up, he'd missed the shot and his target had escaped. And to further complicate matters, he'd almost run into a Hunter squad on the way back to base, and they'd apparently mistaken him for their mission target.  
  
That last one had been rather harrowing, and he'd had to expend more energy than was usually prudent to shake the Hunters.  
  
The night could not get any worse.  
  
Pressing excess water from his hair, he opened the door to his quarters, took a step inside, and discovered that it actually _could_ get worse.  
  
"Is there a reason you're naked in my bed?"  
  
Dynamo grinned and stretched hard, clearly showing off. "Aw, you don't sound happy to see me, Ced~"  
  
"I'm not." Cedar sighed softly and shook his head, then moved to a stool, determined to ignore the other mercenary. He leaned over to haul the storage case of his rifle closer, before starting to break the weapon down.  
  
Dynamo rolled onto his side facing the sniper's back, propping his head on his fist. "Luck was against you tonight, hm?"  
  
"Of course. The only luck I had was escaping the Hunters I picked up."  
  
Dynamo made a sympathetic face, but of course Cedar missed it.  
  
The sniper closed the rifle case and sat up with a quiet groan, hands going to his lower back as he shoved the case back into place with a foot.  
  
"How 'bout you shuck your coat so it can dry?" Dynamo suggested, slithering under the sheets. "Then come over here and sleep."  
  
Cedar turned his head to look over his shoulder, eyes whirring quietly as his irises spun. He stood a moment later, shrugging out of his coat and hanging it to dry. Then, recalling his armor, he moved to join the taller Reploid in the bed.  
  
"You will keep your hands to yourself."  
  
"Aw, no cuddling for warmth~?"  
  
"...fine."  
  
Dynamo grinned triumph, scooting closer to slip an arm around the sniper's waist. He chuckled quietly at Cedar's sleepy huff, hooking his chin over the top of Cedar's head, grin softening to a smile as Cedar automatically snuggled closer to the heat the taller Reploid's frame was radiating.  
  
"G'night, Ced."  
  
"Mm...good night, Dynamo..."


	2. "Teach me how to play?"

Cedar frowned to himself as he made his way up the back stairs, alternately cursing Spider's trend toward the extravagant and thanking the fact Reploids had endless amounts of stamina. He still questioned why the bounty hunter just _had_ to have a condo on one of the uppermost floors of one of the tallest buildings in the city.  
  
You'd never catch _Cedar_ doing something so foolish!  
  
Well...to be fair...Spider wasn't on the Irregular list, and Cedar was.  
  
It was dangerous enough for Cedar to be coming here at all, but Cedar needed the bounty hunter's help. Since Spider wasn't currently answering his comm, the sniper had to go see him in person. And due to the fact Cedar lacked a personal teleporter...he had to go largely on foot.  
  
Huffing quietly as he reached the proper floor, Cedar headed down the hall, absently noting the sound of music from somewhere on the floor. Some kind of violin music, if he wasn't mistaken. And rather pleasant, too, trilling and spinning in the air in a complicated aural dance.  
  
He had to commend the player's skill.  
  
But as he got closer to Spider's door, he realized the music was coming from inside.  
  
For a brief moment, the thought crossed his mind that the bounty hunter was merely listening to a recording.  
  
The notion was dashed the instant he opened the door.  
  
Spider was standing in the center of the main room, an electric violin under his chin, eyes closed as he drew the bow across the strings in a skilled rhythm. In keeping with the bounty hunter's fondness for neon lighting, the instrument glowed a brilliant purplish-blue, and the bow flashing luminescent white like lightning as it sawed back and forth, notes rising like invisible flames.  
  
Cedar stared, not quite gaping as he watched. Like a moth to flame, he was drawn inside the condo, closing the door behind him. He hadn't been aware Spider possessed this particular skill, and he was completely transfixed.  
  
One red eye opened, and the bounty hunter smiled when he saw Cedar, before his eye closed again as he continued to play.  
  
Eventually the last notes died away, and the sniper was silent, reluctant to break the spell woven with music.  
  
Spider hummed quietly and lowered his electric violin, eyes opening halfway over a lazy half-smile. "Hey, Ced. You needed something?"  
  
All thoughts of why he'd originally come to see the bounty hunter had gone out of his mind, and only one thought remained.  
  
"Teach me how to play?"


	3. "I've got one word for you: sing-along!"

"Well, this is another fine mess you've gotten us into!"  
  
Dynamo grinned, rubbing the back of his head in the face of Cedar's glare. "It's not _that_ bad...?" he offered.  
  
"Not that bad?! Every time we agree to any of your 'fantastic' plans, we get into trouble of some sort! Why do we even allow you to talk us into things like this?!"  
  
"He's my brother," Spider supplied dryly from where he leaned against a wall. "What's your excuse?"  
  
The sniper rounded on him with a scowl. "You're as bad as he is!"  
  
" _Duh_."  
  
Cedar narrowed his eyes at the bounty hunter, then turned away with a huff, focusing his glare on the rubble that blocked their exit. Of course, Dynamo was the only one with a personal teleporter, and _of course_ , it had been damaged in the collapse.  
  
This was the last time Cedar ever agreed to help Dynamo with ruins-diving.  
  
"Hey, I bet if you glare hard enough, you could melt the stuff blockin' the exit~"  
  
Cedar's gaze snapped toward the smirking Spider and his eyes narrowed. "You're _not_ helping."  
  
"Oh, was I supposed to? Must've missed the memo."  
  
Gravel crunched under the sniper's feet as he slowly turned to face the bounty hunter, eyes whirring quietly as the irises spun back and forth. "I am not in the mood to tolerate your snark, bounty hunter."  
  
Spider's smirk grew sharp edges, eyes peering from beneath the brim of his hat with an unholy light. "Well, you're gonna get it anyway, _sniper_ ," he replied with a menacing purr.  
  
Dynamo decided it was a wise idea to jump between them to interrupt before the weapons came out. "Hey, here's a brilliant idea! I've got one word for you: sing-along!"  
  
He grinned as he looked back and forth between the two staring Reploids, waiting for their response.  
  
Spider spoke first. "D, I think you finally lost it," he sighed, shaking his head.  
  
"He never had it to begin with!" Cedar interjected, smirking at Dynamo's indignant "Hey!"  
  
"Point." Spider tilted his head back to gaze up at the ceiling for a moment, then a sly smile stretched his mouth. "Actually, I got a better idea than a sing-along."  
  
Cedar snorted. "Your ideas are almost as terrible as Dynamo's."  
  
The bounty hunter lowered his gaze to meet Cedar's, sly smile stretching into a wicked grin as he straightened. "Oh, I think you'll like this one, Ced," he rumbled.  
  
Cedar blinked as Spider stalked toward him, backing away until he abruptly ran into Dynamo. Before he could think to escape, arms were banding around him, pinning him against the taller Reploid.  
  
"I bet we could get you to sing anyway~" Dynamo chuckled by the sniper's ear.  
  
Cedar swallowed, eyes wide as he watched Spider's approach, feeling like some prey animal trapped by a snake's gaze, the bounty hunter's dark grin promising.  
  
...maybe being trapped for a while wouldn't be such a bad thing after all.


	4. "On the coldest winter nights."

On the coldest winter nights, Cedar remembers.  
  
It wasn't cold then, the city's environmental systems keeping its inner sectors comfortably warm even in the depths of winter.  
  
Aluce had paid a pretty penny for the building the organization had made its hideout, almost right in the center. It might have been more prudent to take a building closer to the outskirts, where it was colder. When questioned by some of the other members, Aluce had only waved it off, saying his his old joints and servo motors couldn't handle the cold as well as he used to.  
  
Truthfully, Cedar privately thought Aluce had done it because the mercenary sniper had complained to him once about the bitter cold of the old hideout. He'd never voiced the thought, since it wasn't important. And Aluce wouldn't have given a straight answer anyway.  
  
The old Reploid had been magnanimous that way, especially to Cedar. Perhaps it had started out as lingering gratitude for the first time the sniper had saved his life. Cedar had been just a lowly organization member then, barely of notice save for his skills as a sniper. He'd been on sentry detail on a nearby roof while Aluce had conducted a business deal with a former rival who'd wanted a truce. It had turned out to be a trap, and Cedar had seen the threat before anyone else, making the kill shot before Aluce could be harmed.  
  
Aluce had been thankful that day, almost embarrassingly so, and had insisted that Cedar be present at any further meetings to keep him safe.  
  
Cedar neutralized a good many more threats to Aluce's safety after that, before the old Reploid finally made Cedar his bodyguard.  
  
Though the sniper's strength had been attacking from a distance, before his enemies could get close, he'd learned other skills to compensate for his relative physical weakness, at Aluce's urging. And he'd become _good_ at it. So many tricks and deceptions to make himself more intimidating, to appear stronger than he really was, and all for his boss.  
  
He can never forget the rush of pride, still feels it even now, whenever he'd seen the flash of approval in Aluce's eyes for a job well done. Whether it was guarding the old Reploid's life, or doing any of the numerous unsavory acts that reminded that the organization was very much not the flowers and rainbows kind.  
  
And Cedar had enjoyed it. The pride, the approval, even the blood on his hands from following his friend's orders.  
  
He still isn't sure when that had happened. When they'd gone from merely boss and subordinate to...friends. Rather close friends, in point of fact. Aluce had confided many things to Cedar over the years, knowing the sniper would never breathe a word of it to anyone. And Cedar had been able to do the same, knowing the older Reploid wouldn't think any less of him for it. That trust had slipped in so subtly, Cedar hadn't noticed it until it smacked him in the face, the day he'd realized they were laughing together about some ridiculous thing Cedar can no longer remember.  
  
It's the laughter Cedar remembers, not what caused it.  
  
Those had been some of the happiest times of Cedar's life.  
  
And, in the cycle of things, he remembers when it all ended.  
  
How well he remembers the distant explosion that rocked the building. Telling Aluce to stay behind while he went to investigate.  
  
He remembers seeing the hole in the wall, the two figures shrouded in the dust still floating around.  
  
He remembers the voice, taunting him about Red Alert.  
  
And he remembers the shot, pain lancing through his frame, radiating from the hole in his chest that shouldn't have been there. His vision wavering, tunneling and darkening even as he collapsed, one of the figures approaching him to kneel beside him, reaching toward him and the sudden strain on his systems as the figure did...something.  
  
The last thing he saw before his eyes closed and he shut down was a brilliant glow, like white phosphor fire, before the figure took on Cedar's form, his own face mocking him with a smirk.  
  
He remembers waking to agony afterward. Of having to take several moments to convince his systems he could still function, still move despite the grievous injury. He'd managed to roll over enough to crawl to the wall, using it to drag himself upright, one arm barely functional, the other dead weight.  
  
Once on his feet, he'd gone in search of Aluce, clutching his dead arm to keep it from throwing his already shaky balance off. It had been a slow trek, filled with stumbling and hopes that Aluce had gotten away. That the attackers hadn't reached him, hadn't succeeded in using the sniper's form to trick his friend.  
  
It had been a futile hope.  
  
He'd found Aluce's body in one of the back corridors, a neat hole through the old Reploid's power core, an expression of shock and betrayal frozen on his face.  
  
Cedar remembers collapsing to his knees, staring at the corpse for an indefinable length of time, trying to process the fact his friend was dead. That he'd failed in his duty to protect him.  
  
He'd not even had time to mourn, having to flee when he heard Irregular Hunters scouring the building and coming closer.  
  
But he'd sworn he'd avenge his friend's death. He will find the Reploid responsible for it, and he will make them _pay_.  
  
On the coldest winter nights, Cedar remembers. And he _burns_.


	5. "Evil came in many forms, even an innocent face."

Evil came in many forms, even an innocent face.  
  
Especially when that innocent face was Dynamo's innocent face, which wasn't innocent _at all_.  
  
" _No_ ," Cedar said firmly, the moment he walked in and saw Dynamo's expression. "Whatever it is, _no_."  
  
"Aw, but Ced-"  
  
" _ **No**_. The last time I agreed to anything, we ended up trapped in an underground lab for nearly two days."  
  
The taller Reploid leered at him. "I don't remember you complaining~"  
  
Cedar sputtered, feeling his face heat up in what he knew was a brilliant blush. Damn these new upgrades! "Th-That is entirely beside the point!"  
  
Dynamo snickered and walked over, throwing an arm around the sniper's shoulders before he could think to escape. "C'mon, Ced! This isn't gonna be like last time! No chance of getting trapped or anything, I promise!"  
  
Cedar frowned, narrowing his eyes as he looked at Dynamo, waiting for the taller Reploid to continue.  
  
"Tomorrow is April first, and you _know_ what day that is." Dynamo's grin stretched into pure evil. "Spider's out running errands for the old man, and he won't be back to his place until evening. I need some help preparing a... _surprise_...for my dear brother."  
  
"What sort of surprise?" Cedar replied carefully, suspicious.  
  
He blinked as a rather realistic rubber spider was dangled from a string in front of his nose.  
  
Then he slowly matched Dynamo's grin.  
  
"I'm in."  
  
Oh, yes. Evil came in many forms. And Cedar was an all-too-willing accomplice some times.


	6. "Hey, have you seen the...? Oh."

Cedar frowned as he searched his quarters, peering in every nook and cranny, lifting every object and looking under every surface. But it just wasn't anywhere. Huffing quietly, he looked around the room, before spinning on his heel to march out the door.  
  
 _Dynamo_ must have it. The other mercenary was always invading Cedar's quarters for some strange reason the sniper couldn't fathom, and he was always _borrowing_ things.  
  
Cedar really needed to change the security code to his quarters.  
  
Again.  
  
But as Cedar ranged the base in search of Dynamo, he came to a puzzling conclusion.  
  
Dynamo was nowhere to be found.  
  
Cedar knew he was here somewhere; he'd heard the other mercenary's excitable hoots about something earlier. But he just wasn't in any of his usual haunts.  
  
The sniper came to a stop in the hallway, scowling as he tried to think of where Dynamo could be.  
  
A sudden thumping and muffled yelling down the hall drew Cedar's attention.  
  
 _Of course_.  
  
"There you are," he murmured, heading toward Dynamo's quarters. The one place he hadn't looked yet, because the other mercenary was so rarely ever there.  
  
Keying in the security code- and the irony did not escape him that he knew it at all- he almost shoved the door open when it didn't open fast enough.  
  
"Dynamo, have you seen the...?" Cedar stopped short in the doorway and stared. "...oh."  
  
The other mercenary was hanging upside down from the ceiling, trussed up like a piñata in some horrifying monstrosity of neon gauze and glittering sequins. And an alarmingly familiar rubber spider was shoved in Dynamo's mouth as a makeshift gag.  
  
Cedar stared at the display, feeling a growing horror creeping through his circuits as he met Dynamo's sheepish gaze.  
  
Then Dynamo's gaze flicked to something behind Cedar, and the sniper whirled, jerking back a step when he discovered Spider standing there with a placid, absolutely terrifying smile.  
  
Oh _no_.  
  
Still smiling that demon's smile, Spider took a step forward, forcing Cedar a step back. "Ya'll thought it was funny, riggin' my place with all those spiders," the bounty hunter almost purred. "Didn't you."  
  
Cedar's throat went dry, eyes whirring quietly as his irises spun. "A-ah...w-well...I...that is..."  
  
Spider took another step forward, forcing Cedar back again, and as the door closed, the sniper knew he and Dynamo were _doomed_.


	7. "Please stay."

Cedar hates these dreams.  
  
Not quite nightmares, but far from pleasant, either.  
  
He's back in the distant past, in the days before being a mercenary. Before being a sniper.  
  
Even before being an Irregular.  
  
He can see his factory-line siblings again, grinning and laughing together, with no idea what is in store for them.  
  
Serious Sequoia, with his leader's smile, the first off the assembly line and the eldest.  
  
Laurel and Rowan, the prankster twins, so alike in appearance and mannerisms, they might as well be one being.  
  
Quiet Aspen, sweet Willow, ever-curious Hawthorn. Sassy Sassafrass, cheerful Maple, somber Hemlock.  
  
Intelligent Ash and Mesquite, the troublemakers Cherry and Chestnut.  
  
The young Ginkgo, the last of their model made, and the youngest.  
  
And sly Cypress, the closest to Ceder himself as to be his twin.  
  
Cedar can see them clearly, as from a distance, but they can't see him. He can hear them, but they can't hear him.  
  
_Please stay_.  
  
One by one they fade, and he knows he'll never see them again outside of this dream world, each one scrapped or accused of being Irregular by petty, cruel humans.  
  
And Cedar is left alone, the only one to escape, the silence pressing in around him with the weight of unvoiced accusations.  
  
And now he sees Aluce again, the old Reploid grinning conspiratorially at him, cigar held in one hand while the other clutches his cane.  
  
Cedar takes a step forward, reaching toward his friend, trying to warn him.  
  
But no sound exits his mouth, and Aluce turns to walk away, slowly fading with each step, despite Cedar's desperate pleas.  
  
_Please stay!_  
  
The dreams always end the same, with the sound of Aluce's murderer's voice echoing mockingly around him, the sound of that terrible shot catapulting him back to the waking world with a gasp.  
  
He covers his face with his hands, both to try calming his frantic breathing and to stifle a sob, desperately trying to fight down the memories stirred up by his dreams.  
  
He startles when he feels arms slipping around his waist from behind, and he twists around without letting himself think, burying his face in Dynamo's chest as his arms come up to cling almost tight enough to squeeze the breath from the taller Reploid's lungs.  
  
"Please stay," he whispers.  
  
And Dynamo doesn't argue, has never argued, or asked questions. He only holds Cedar tight, until the sniper's trembling eases.


	8. "Some things just can't be erased."

Some things just can't be erased.  
  
Oh, the physical marks can be removed or lost in the process of repairs or upgrades.  
  
But the memories...the memories are forever there.  
  
Cedar has been through many a repair, and one or two upgrades, and he's long since lost the scar that once marred his frame, the visible reminder of his failure.  
  
But it's still there, in his mind.  
  
His reflection may be unblemished, but he still feels the old wound, burning acid through his internals.  
  
Cedar reaches out to touch his mirror, fingers meeting glass over the spot where his scar had been, the sound of the shot that caused it still echoing in his ears.  
  
He's aware some might call it an obsession, but he really doesn't care what they think. Those he calls friends understand, and that's all that matters.  
  
He suspects Dynamo knows the identity of Aluce's murderer; the mercenary tends to stick his nose into everything that isn't his business. And he's certain Spider knows as well; the bounty hunter is the youngest son of the eternal meddler, and he knows everything. Or nearly everything.  
  
They must have their reasons for not telling him, however, irritating as the idea was.  
  
They'll tell him in time, he's sure. He can be patient. He is a sniper, after all, and patience is a skill he's nearly perfected.  
  
He frowns at the mirror, eyes whirring quietly as his irises spin.  
  
"You sure about this, Ced?"  
  
Cedar turns at Spider's voice from the doorway. "I am."  
  
Spider nods once and turns to lead the way through the twists and turns of the mercenary base, and then through the maze of streets, Cedar trailing silently behind with thoughts turned inward.  
  
They reach their destination and the bounty hunter looks back at him, but doesn't ask again if he's sure. He only steps through the door, ducking the low frame.  
  
Cedar follows, ducking as well, looking around while the bounty hunter speaks quietly to one of the workers. Several stations are scattered around, machinery hissing quietly under the music playing from the sound system. He watches another worker with a customer in a far corner, watching how color seems to bloom beneath the worker's fingers like magic.  
  
"Ced?"  
  
He looks over and blinks, then follows Spider and the worker to another station, the bounty hunter taking up a position against the wall, arms crossed as he watches. Standing guard.  
  
The sniper takes a seat when requested, reaching up to loosen the armor locks on his chest armor, setting the plates aside. He settles back in the chair, eyes following the worker as he gets everything ready, machinery quietly whirring to life.  
  
He watches the worker lift a device, eyes tracking its path, and grits his teeth at the initial pain as the device runs across the synthetic flesh. Then he watches, fascinated, as color follows the device's tip, tracing the shape of a scar that is no longer anywhere but in Cedar's mind, skilled artwork replacing the memory of what had been lost.  
  
Some things just can't be erased.  
  
And some things shouldn't be.


	9. "There isn't enough time."

"And you say _we_ have bad ideas!" Dynamo shouted as he pelted through the brush away from the rather angry mechaniloid behemoth crashing behind them.  
  
"This is _not_ my fault, you imbecile!" Cedar snarled back, hot on the taller Reploid's heels.  
  
"Just shut up and fuckin' run!" Spider shouted, vaulting a fallen trunk as he kept pace with the other two. "There isn't enough time for you two idiots to argue!"  
  
"Is it still behind us?!"  
  
"Why don't you stop and look?!"  
  
"What do you think I am, crazy?!"  
  
"Do you _really_ want us to answer that, D?!"  
  
"Shit, I think it's still chasing us!"  
  
"Did you just fuckin' swear, Ced?!"  
  
"I _will_ trip you if you start that now!"  
  
"So whose turn is it to come up with an idea to get us out of this mess?!" Dynamo stumbled briefly over some vines, nearly tripping Cedar, both Reploids struggling to regain their stride before their pursuer caught up to them. "We can't keep running from this thing forever!"  
  
Spider glanced back briefly at the beast when it bellowed, jagged tongues of lightning erupting from its mouth. "...I've got a plan."  
  
The bounty hunter twisted, pivoting on one foot to change directions, Dynamo and Cedar skidding and flailing to keep their balance as they tried to keep up with him.  
  
"...please tell me we are _not_ heading toward a waterfall!"  
  
"Just trust me, Ced!"  
  
" _Trust_ you?! That's-...that's a fucking cliff ahead!"  
  
"No shit! _Jump_!" Spider grabbed Cedar's arm, yanking the yelping sniper along as he launched off the edge of the cliff, Dynamo following a beat later with a "Geronimo!"  
  
All three Reploids hit the water, Dynamo and Spider diving deep and pulling Cedar along.  
  
A moment later, the mechaniloid that had been chasing them hit the water like an avalanche, water rushing into every armor seam and opening as it sank. The beast thrashed convulsively as electricity crackled over its frame and through the water, before it finally went still with a final twitch.  
  
The three Reploids stumbled to the shore, Spider hauling the coughing and sputtering Cedar along, Dynamo grinning like a lunatic.  
  
"Well, that was refreshing~"  
  
"D, if you don't shut up, I'm gonna shove your face in the mud."  
  
The taller Reploid made a rude noise, then stopped walking to shake himself off, flinging water everywhere.  
  
Spider snorted, tugging Cedar out of range, smacking him on the back to help him cough up a last bit of inhaled water. "Maybe next time you'll listen when someone puts up a warnin' that says 'Here be dragons and unknown beasts.'"  
  
"...sh-shut up. This was _not_ my fault."  
  
Silence fell, as they wrung out their hair and various cloth accessories.  
  
"...I don't suppose we'll be unlucky enough to encounter a second one if we go back for the hoard."  
  
" ** _Cedar_**!"


	10. "That is one hell of a mess."

Aluce took a slow drag of his cigar, before rolling it to one corner of his mouth, smoke billowing as he spoke. "That is one hell of a mess."  
  
Cedar hummed as he straightened up, pulling a cloth from a compartment in his armor to dab at the circulatory fluids spattered on his face. "It was unavoidable, I'm afraid," he murmured. "He refused to cooperate."  
  
The old Reploid let out a wheezy chuckle and leaned on his cane. "And an example had to be made. Come, we'll leave what's left for his mechs to find. Perhaps his boss will get the message this time."  
  
The sniper chuckled quietly, falling into his customary place a few steps behind the old Reploid as he started walking. "Do you really believe he will take the message this time?"  
  
"Perhaps, perhaps not. We'll see in the next few days. Here." Aluce handed a clean cloth to the taller Reploid. "You've still got some fluids on you. Better clean it up before someone gets the wrong idea."  
  
"What on Earth kind of bad idea could someone get that isn't the truth?" Cedar teased the older Reploid, grinning at his friend's back.  
  
Aluce took his cigar in one hand, looking back with an answering grin. "We're supposed to be respectable gentleman, remember? It's gauche to walk around with your victim's blood on you."  
  
The sniper laughed quietly. "I suppose you're right, Aluce. We must remain the height of fashion, after all." He lightly tugged the edges of his own coat, laughing at himself with the old Reploid.  
  
"Back to business," Aluce said, returning his cigar to his mouth and puffing at it. "When we get back to the base, I have another job for you."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"There's a package I need you to pick up for me. A briefcase, with a very precious contents. The seller has a set price, so you needn't worry about haggling with him. And no one else is to know of its existence."  
  
Cedar blinked, eyes whirring quietly. "Of course. I'll retrieve it as soon as we return. Dare I ask what it contains?"  
  
Aluce smiled around his cigar. "Something that will make us very powerful indeed, that a lot of people will go to a great deal of trouble to either destroy it or claim it for themselves..."  
  
The sniper faltered slightly. "...not the Virus?"  
  
"No, no, certainly not. Not even I'm willing to get that dirty."  
  
Cedar nodded, relief flashing across his face, falling silent as he followed Aluce back to the base.  
  
When he left later to retrieve the briefcase for Aluce, he didn't notice the two figures watching him from a shadowed roof.  
  
_"That's him?"_  
  
_"Yes. To get to his boss, we need to use him. Think you can handle it, kid?"_  
  
_"Always, Red!"_


	11. "Cool! It's /poofy/!"

Cedar frowned to himself as he carefully examined each part of his rifle, meticulously cleaning each piece before placing each in its proper spot in the case. He made sure to do such maintenance regularly, not wanting his primary weapon to fail him when he needed it most. It was a task that required focus and concentration, lest he miss something important.  
  
So when he found himself cleaning the same part for the third time, he was thoroughly irked, glaring at the offending part as if it were to blame.  
  
It wasn't, of course.  
  
No, it was _Dynamo's_ fault, and the other mercenary wasn't even around to cause his usual troubles!  
  
In fact, Cedar hadn't seen him in nearly a week.  
  
...and no, Cedar was _not_ worried, thank you very much!  
  
Muttering imprecations about Dynamo's ability to irritate the sniper even with his absence, Cedar firmly placed the thrice-cleaned part in the case.  
  
Paused at a sudden sense of impending doom.  
  
Then he jerked forward with a squawk as a loud _**ZAP!**_ accompanied a sharp jolt of electricity that shocked through his systems.  
  
Scrambling to his feet, he spun around to face his attacker, and promptly fumed when he saw Dynamo grinning at him, as if summoned by his thoughts.  
  
"Cool!" the other mercenary chortled. "It's _poofy_!"  
  
Cedar blinked at the odd comment. And Dynamo wasn't quite looking at him-...  
  
... _oh no_.  
  
The sniper's hands flew back to his hair, feeling dozens of little static crackles against his hands as strands of hair floated about his head in a thick halo.  
  
_**"Dynamo!"**_


	12. "I know you're here. You may as well show yourself."

It was a slow day for a change, and Cedar was enjoying it, taking the opportunity to doze the best he could in the little booth that was his workstation, and had been since a week after his activation. Cramped though it was, he managed to get comfortable, tilting his chair back to rest against the wall with his foot braced on the opposite wall, head tilted forward, and arms crossed over his chest. It allowed him to pretend alertness when one of the customers arrived; all he need do was lower his foot, and the chair tipping forward gave him the momentum to stand to greet them.  
  
It was a trick he'd learned from Laurel and Rowan, and he had to admit it had worked well so far.  
  
At least, he hadn't been called to task for it yet.  
  
"...I know you are here. You may as well show yourself."  
  
A shadow fell over him, and he opened his eyes to frown at the strange Reploid who leaned on the counter to grin broadly at him.  
  
"Morning, Jeeves!" the Reploid greeted him, giving a mocking salute, grin somehow growing wider.  
  
Cedar took a slow breath and released it, gaze lifting heavenward in a plea for patience. "I have told you before, that is not my name."  
  
"But you play the part so _well_ ~"  
  
Cedar snorted his opinion on that and closed his eyes again, hoping that by feigning disinterest, his nameless tormentor would leave.  
  
No such luck.  
  
"Have you heard the news?"  
  
"I am quite certain I am not at all interested in whatever you have to share."  
  
"Even if it involves Cypress and Ginkgo?"  
  
Cedar's eyes snapped open to see the Reploid giving him a surprisingly somber look.  
  
"They were scrapped the other day."  
  
Shock froze Cedar's joints, chilling his circulatory fluids. "What...? But... _why_?"  
  
"Official word is they went Irregular. Reality is they refused to roll over while a customer verbally abused them for not breaking the rules for him. The bastard claimed they threatened him, so..."  
  
He stared at the other Reploid, trying to deny what he was being told. Humans couldn't be so ridiculously petty and cruel. _And yet..._ a small part of his mind whispered traitorously.  
  
 _And yet._  
  
The other Reploid eyed him, then gave an odd smirk and thumped a scrap of paper on the counter with two fingers, sliding it across the surface toward Cedar. "You ever want out before they get you, too, look us up. Tell 'em Dynamo sent you."  
  
And he was gone before Cedar could respond. Cedar blinked a moment, bewildered, then looked down at the paper.  
  
Slowly he reached out to pick it up.  
  
Hesitated.  
  
Then slipped it into a compartment in his armor.


	13. "The new recruits stood in one corner of the room, their uniforms stiff and ill fitting, their faces betraying their anxiety."

The new recruits stood in one corner of the room, their uniforms stiff and ill fitting, their faces betraying their anxiety. There were sixteen of them this time, all nearly indistinguishable save the color of their hair.  
  
The distributor eyed the Reploids as they interacted with each other, lip curling in disgust as he watched them laugh and smile, pretending to be human.  
  
He schooled his expression a moment later, raising his clipboard. He had a job to do, then he could be rid of the damned things until the next batch rolled off the assembly line.  
  
"Sequoia?"  
  
_Ugh. What idiot thought it'd be cute to name them all after trees?_  
  
"Sir?" came the reply, the black-haired Reploid stepping forward, the others shifting around it.  
  
"You're to go to Coleman's Couture. The store manager needs someone who can be personable, while maintaining the store's reputation. Do you think you can handle it?"  
  
He _really_ hated having to play nice and treat the overgrown toasters like people. Even more than he hated having to affect a posh accent to be sure they talked right.  
  
"Of course, sir."  
  
He made a mark on the list as the Reploid left the room.  
  
"Laurel and Rowan?"  
  
"Yes, sir~" "Present~"  
  
He faltered slightly, nonplussed by the way the two red-haired Reploids spoke almost in stereo with matching grins. Dear God, what were those idiots in manufacturing thinking, copying designs so closely? What was the point?  
  
A glance at the list answered that last question. "You two have been requested by Lakewood Estates to operate the security building and the gates."  
  
"Sir, yes, sir!" the pair chorused, saluting.  
  
He could feel his eyebrow twitch slightly, gripping his pen a little tighter as they left.  
  
He'd bet his paycheck they weren't going to last long, and it'd be _his_ head on the block if they screwed up too badly.  
  
Fighting the urge to sigh- or let loose the curses he really wanted to say- he continued down the list, giving the Reploids their job assignments until he got to the last three.  
  
"Cypress and Ginkgo, you're to report to Wedgewood's department store."  
  
"Yes, sir," the green-haired Reploid replied, while the blonde one just nodded before scurrying after the other Reploid out the door.  
  
"Cedar?"  
  
The last Reploid straightened at its name, brushing some ridiculously lavender hair over its shoulder. "Yes, sir?"  
  
He paused at the Reploid's piercing yellow-gold eyes, its stare reminding him of images of wolves staring down prey, and he had to suppress a shudder.  
  
"You're for Baxter's business firm. They need someone to work security for the parking garage."  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
He watched the Reploid leave, finally letting himself shudder. If any of the damn things were going to go Irregular, he was sure it would be _that_ one.


	14. "Have I entered an alternate universe or did you really just crack a smile for me?"

Cedar sighed softly as Dynamo jabbered on about something or other, not really listening as they made their way down the darkened street. The other mercenary seemed content enough to talk just to hear himself speak, and didn't appear to require Cedar's participation. Which was all to the good, the sniper having no wish to involve himself in whatever conversation Dynamo was carrying on. It was all rather tedious, really.  
  
Abruptly Dynamo cut himself off with an eager "Ooh!" and took off into a random store still open despite the late hour, leaving the sniper blinking after him.  
  
Just as Cedar was wondering whether to continue without the other Reploid, Dynamo returned with a triumphant grin, hands behind his back.  
  
That never boded well.  
  
"Close your eyes and hold out your hands~"  
  
And that boded even worse.  
  
Frowning, he eyed Dynamo. "It's not going to bite, scratch, explode, or embarrass me, is it?"  
  
"Nope, nuh-uh, not unless you handle it wrong, and not at all~"  
  
He eyed Dynamo a moment longer, then sighed softly and rolled his eyes before closing them, reluctantly holding out his hands. "I reserve the right to string you up by your inner wiring if you're putting me on."  
  
The other mercenary just chuckled low, and a moment later, Cedar felt something carefully placed in his hands in a way that had them automatically closing around the items.  
  
The sniper frowned slightly. It felt like...pistol grips?  
  
Opening his eyes, he blinked at what he held, breath catching slightly.  
  
In his hands were a pair of small, elegant beam pistols. Short barrels styled like the old solid projectile firearms, thick grips curved to give the wielder a solid grip, curved finger guards that looked to be designed like brass knuckles. Perfectly sized for easy concealment, yet designed in such a way as to pack a rather large punch, as it were. Tilting the weapons to examine them, he spotted switches under the thumb grips, and, curious, he flicked them on. His eyes widened as curved beam blades flared from the finger guards below the barrels, glowing a bright orange-gold.  
  
Blinking, jaw hanging slightly open, he looked at Dynamo.  
  
The other mercenary grinned broadly. "What? Your sniper rifle's no good for close-quarters combat, and your buster isn't worth shit. Besides, I can't have my favorite target getting himself killed before I'm done tormenting him~"  
  
Cedar blinked, then tilted his head forward, flicking the beam blades off.  
  
"Hey, hey, I saw that!" Dynamo pointed accusingly at the sniper. "Have I entered an alternate universe or did you really just crack a smile for me?!"  
  
" _Be quiet_."


	15. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

Cedar looked around warily as he crept after Spider, following the bounty hunter through the dark, crumbling corridor. While he trusted the bounty hunter's assessment that the structure wasn't going to collapse any time soon, he still jumped at every creak and groan from the walls and ceiling. He wouldn't even _be_ here, but Spider had offered to share the pay with him if he came with the bounty hunter. The fact it was a job from the First just added to the lure.  
  
The concerns about potential collapse were bad enough.  
  
The fact this was an old undiscovered fortress of Dr. Wily's made the situation _worse_.  
  
Who knew what diabolical traps and enemies still lurked about, rusted and decaying, waiting for unwary intruders?  
  
Cedar paused, glancing back, almost certain he could hear shuffling footsteps behind them. He gripped his blade guns tighter, then hurried after Spider, not wanting to be left behind.  
  
Viral Irregulars he could handle. Irregular Hunters were no problem. Even Dynamo on a three-day sugar-high wasn't an issue.  
  
But robotic zombies?  
  
No. Just _no_.  
  
Cedar would rather walk unarmed into the middle of the Irregular Hunter Headquarters and face a host of copy chip Reploids.  
  
Spider paused at a junction in the hallways, peering down each with a low thoughtful hum, eyes narrowed. Then he headed down one, sauntering along like he didn't have a care in the world.  
  
The sniper glared at his back, envying the bounty hunter's easy confidence and lack of concern for potential dangers.  
  
"Relax, Ced," Spider said amiably. "Whatever goony bots the Doc had guardin' this place are long gone. And the Robot Masters abandoned this place long before that."  
  
"How do you know that?!"  
  
The bounty hunter looked over his shoulder with a lazy smirk. "The Robot Masters told me, duh."  
  
Cedar blinked. Oh. Right. He'd forgotten about Spider's connection to them.  
  
But that didn't ease the sniper's worries. He just _knew_ someone- or some _thing_ \- was following them.  
  
He glanced back, straining his hearing for the slightest sound, and his eyes widened.  
  
There _was_ something following them! He'd just seen a flash of some sort of light way off down the hall.  
  
Before he could warn Spider, however, the bounty hunter spoke ahead of him from a room. And he didn't sound happy in the slightest.  
  
"Are you fuckin' kiddin' me?"  
  
Distracted from what he'd seen, Cedar hurried to Spider's side to see what had him so upset.  
  
"...are you _serious_."  
  
The room was an old, rusted-out lab, bits and bobs of parts and tools laying about indicating something of value might have once been here. But whatever it was, it was gone now. And rather recently, too, by the looks of things.  
  
And the fact an open box of donuts sat innocently on the lab table in the center of the room gave an indication who was responsible.  
  
"...dibs on killin' him."  
  
"Not if I catch him first."  
  
The sound of distant running footsteps catapulted them into movement, both Reploids racing from the old lab and charging down the hall after them.  
  
 _"You're fuckin' **dead** , D!"_  
  
 _"You can't run far enough to escape us!"_  
  
Off in the distance, Dynamo's howl floated back to them. _"Nooooooo, I'm too cute to die!"_


	16. "Hey! I was gonna eat that!"

Cedar made a disgusted sound as he surveyed the mess in the common room. He worked with a bunch of slobs, and judging by the empty donut boxes scattered around- he counted _twelve_ of them- Dynamo was responsible for most of it.  
  
Really, he never understood the other mercenary's obsession with the disgusting things. They were nothing more than sponges of grease that got crumbs and sugar everywhere. Yet Dynamo acted like they were the secret of life.  
  
Shaking his head, the sniper moved to start clearing the mess away, tossing boxes and empty plastic cups in the trash.  
  
He made a face when he found a box that still had two donuts inside, stale and crusty, and turned to toss them as well.  
  
"Hey! I was gonna eat that!"  
  
Cedar paused, staring at the mercenary in the doorway in disbelief. "...you can't be serious."  
  
"Of course, I'm serious!" Dynamo stalked forward with a pouty scowl and snatched the box from the sniper. "They're only two days old, you heathen!"  
  
He continued staring as the other mercenary took one of the donuts and- glaring right back at Cedar- took a vicious bite from the pastry.  
  
Cedar felt ill. "...you are disgusting," he finally said, quickly moving to leave before he purged his tank.  
  
"You'll change your tune if you get a biomorphics upgrade!" Dynamo shouted after him.  
  
"Not likely!" he called back without turning.


	17. "Follow me, I'm the Alpha Idiot™."

"So, where do we go from here?" Spider grunted with a scowl.  
  
The three Reploids peered at the map, trying to puzzle it out.  
  
Cedar traced a thick black squiggle on the map, frowning. "Perhaps this is the one we want?"  
  
Spider prodded a narrow gray line that seemed to meander. "Could be this one."  
  
They both jumped when Dynamo abruptly snatched the map.  
  
"I know where to go! Follow me, I'm the Alpha Idiot **™**!" the taller Reploid grinned, loping off.  
  
The other two stared after him.  
  
"If he is the Alpha Idiot, what does that make us?" Cedar murmured.  
  
"Moe and Larry," Spider muttered back, grinning wryly as he started after Dynamo.


	18. "Sounds like you're dealing with an incubus."

"You look like the walking dead."  
  
Cedar lifted his head from the table and gave Dynamo a sleepy glare. "Do _not_ mention those things around me."  
  
The other mercenary smirked and flumped in the seat across from him. "What, scared of squishies that are extra squishy?"  
  
Cedar shuddered and buried his face in his arms. "Go away," he mumbled, voice muffled. "I am in no mood for this. I haven't been getting enough rest lately."  
  
"Oh? Why not?" Dynamo asked, eyes wide in studied innocence.  
  
"I have been dealing with a demon who has endless amounts of energy keeping me awake."  
  
"Sounds like you're dealing with an incubus."  
  
The sniper lifted his head again to stare at Dynamo. "...no, I am dealing with a Dynamo."  
  
Dynamo snickered and leered at him. "You weren't complaining last night~"  
  
"As if I would when presented with such a rare opportunity," Cedar mumbled, chin dropping onto his arms as he struggled to keep his eyes open.  
  
"Hah!" The other mercenary leaned back with a grin that quickly faded to a smile as he eyed the sniper. "Why don't you go back to bed? I can cover your missions while you get some rest."  
  
Cedar blinked and looked up at him. "Oh, would you?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
"I would kiss you, but I know you've been eating donuts."  
  
Dynamo laughed and stood, stretching briefly. Letting his hands drop, he briefly ruffled the sniper's hair, grinning at the huff it earned him as he wandered off.  
  
Cedar watched him leave, then braced his hands on the table, pushing himself upright. Covering a yawn with one hand, he half-heartedly tried to put his hair back in order with the other, before giving up on the task as too much effort at the moment.  
  
And speaking of effort, it took him a few moments to convince himself it was worth the effort to get up and return to his quarters, but it was the thought of what might happen if he fell asleep in the open that finally got him moving. He had no wish to wake up to find his face scribbled on again. Or worse.


	19. "Who gave the kid permission to touch the explosives?"

"Who gave the kid permission to touch the explosives?"  
  
Cedar didn't look up from the devices he was sorting through. He knew well enough the mercenary was speaking about him, but as no one was actually trying to stop him, he was going to ignore it. It seemed the best way to deal with a rough lot like these mercenaries. He still was uncertain coming here had been a good idea, but...he couldn't go back even if he wanted to. Not after the scene he'd created with his leaving.  
  
"Hey, kid!" One of the mercenaries thumped a hand loudly on the table, leaning in with a sneer as Cedar looked up. "Do you even know what you're doing, Mr Posh Service Droid? You might blow us all up."  
  
Cedar met the mercenary's gaze evenly. "I am aware of what I am doing. The devices are all inactive."  
  
The mercenary scowled, opening his mouth to speak, only to glance up past Cedar, eyes going wide.  
  
"Do you guys have a problem with my friend Cedar?"  
  
Cedar went rigid at the familiar voice from behind him. Looking over his shoulder, he saw the ridiculously tall Reploid who'd gotten him into this mess in the first place, looming over him with a rather menacing grin aimed at the mercenary who was bothering Cedar.  
  
The mercenary quickly straightened up. "No, of course not, Dynamo."  
  
The tall Reploid tilted his head, eyes narrowing slightly though he still was grinning, an action the others apparently found rather alarming as they all drew back. "You have business elsewhere, don't you?" he asked amiably.  
  
Apparently they did, as everyone scattered, leaving Cedar to blink in bemusement at the sudden departure.  
  
The tall Reploid- Dynamo- chuckled, his air of menace evaporating like rime frost in sunlight, and he walked around to sit across from Cedar with a grin. "The trick is intimidation. Bluffing, when you don't have the strength to back yourself up."  
  
"Intimidation, hm?" Cedar murmured, frowning as he thought back to the reaction of the distributor on meeting his gaze the first time. He remembered seeing a few human movies, how humans found certain types of eyes frightening.  
  
Reploids had many of the same fears, having been built by humans.  
  
So, perhaps...  
  
"...do you know anyone who is trustworthy who can install ocular upgrades?"  
  
Dynamo blinked, then slowly grinned, exposing a set of fangs that gave Cedar a start. "I know just the bot..."


	20. "It's always the red button."

"Why does he want this destroyed again?"  
  
Spider shrugged, eyeing the device. "He dug up some unpleasant rumors about what's planned for it."  
  
Cedar frowned, looking at the device. He felt a fool to say this, but it needed to be said. "But it could be used for good things."  
  
"You know it won't be."  
  
Cedar sighed softly. Yes, he knew it wouldn't be. Either the humans would use it on each other or on Reploids, or Sigma's surviving followers would get hold of it and use it on everyone. Better to destroy it now, before any of that happened.  
  
He watched Spider move to one side of the device in search of the surest way to destroy it, then he moved to follow the bounty hunter's lead, examining the other side.  
  
"Ah...Spider?"  
  
"What'd you find, Ced?" the bounty hunter asked, coming around to see what had the sniper's attention.  
  
Cedar pointed mutely, looking at Spider with a bemused look.  
  
Spider blinked. "...It's always the red button," he chuckled, shaking his head.  
  
"Shall we press it?"  
  
"...sure, why not. Punch it and run."  
  
The sniper reached out to press the button, jerking back when the device started making alarming grinding noises. He didn't wait around to see what would happen, fast on Spider's heels as the bounty hunter raced for the exit.  
  
They didn't stop running once they reached it, continuing until they were a safe distance away on a low hill. Turning back, they watched silently as the building seemed to implode, before exploding rather spectacularly.  
  
Spider stood with his arms crossed, surveying the scene for a moment before speaking. "I give it a 7.3."  
  
Cedar blinked and looked at him. "Pardon?"  
  
"The explosion."  
  
The sniper blinked again, then shook his head with a chuckle. "If ever there was any doubt you're Dynamo's brother..."  
  
"Heh. Let's scram before someone comes to investigate."


	21. Bonus Fic - Phoenix

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _'Cause everything's been taken from me now, I don't believe it_   
>  _When everything that you had just sweeps aside_   
>  _You rise like the Phoenix to fly_

Cedar's return to consciousness was heralded by a sharp, strangled gasp, frame arching and twisting as agony slammed into him with the force of a tidal wave. The movement only made it worse, however, and he tried to lock his joints to keep himself from moving. The response to the command came sluggishly, systems overwhelmed by the backlog as damage reports informed him rather unhelpfully that he was injured.  
  
He _knew_ he was injured; he could feel the slick sensation of his own circulatory fluids trickling down his armor, heard it dripping to pool beneath him.  
  
He groaned faintly as he lay there, waiting impatiently for the agony to recede enough for him to move, mentally cursing the fact his mind was back to working order well before his body was.  
  
It seemed an eternity before it finally ebbed enough his systems started responding somewhat properly again, and he slowly, laboriously, pushed himself to roll over, grunting a sharp gasp as his chest impacted the floor, pain shocking through him as his wound was jarred. Choking, he coughed sharply, internal fluids spattering the floor. Then he let his forehead drop against his arms, eyes screwed shut, as he sucked in desperate gulps of air to cool his frame as pain and stress threatened to overheat it.  
  
When he felt able to move again, he struggled for the wall, reduced to almost belly-crawling through his own internal fluids to reach it.  
  
Having reached the wall, he lifted a hand, fingers scraping in search of a handhold, leaving bloody trails against the buckled plascrete. Finally his fingers closed around a twisted bit of rebar, and he slowly dragged himself upright, the task made all the more difficult with only one arm responding, and that just barely.  
  
Once on his feet, he had to take a moment to lean against the wall, panting raggedly as his gyro stabilizers threatened to send him crashing right back down on his face.  
  
Cedar straightened once he was sure of his footing, only to stagger as his non-functional arm swung, throwing off his balance. Clutching it with his other arm to keep it still, he started down the corridor, exhaustion dragging at his feet. But stronger even than his exhaustion, than the pain still radiating through his frame, was his duty.  
  
Aluce. He had to find Aluce.  
  
The old Reploid would have made for the safe room when Cedar didn't return. Perhaps he was still there; perhaps the bastard who'd stolen Cedar's form hadn't found him there.  
  
It was a frustratingly slow trek back to Aluce's office, and he had to stop several times to lean against the wall to rest, to catch his breath and try to cool his stress-heated frame. When he finally came in sight of the door, he fought down alarm when he saw it had been blasted open.  
  
So Red Alert had made it this far. Surely they couldn't have made it much further? They couldn't know the building all that well. They couldn't know the way...  
  
He stumbled over the rubble that littered the floor, looking around, eyes whirring as his irises spun, taking in the destruction. Then he started for Aluce's private elevator, seeing the massive bar-lock twisted away like it was made of tin.  
  
The elevator car itself was still intact, at least, and Cedar leaned heavily against the back wall, silently grateful for the chance to rest as it took him to the lower levels. The door opened, and the lack of further destruction reassured him.  
  
Slowly making his way down the hall, he kept a wary eye out. He could easily imagine that, unable to locate Aluce, Red Alert would have ranged through the base, killing every organization member they came across. Perhaps they were still somewhere in the base? Was he leading them right to the old Reploid?  
  
He glanced at the floor at his feet, then back along his path. No. No, he wasn't leaving a trail anymore, his self-repair having long since closed off the leaking lines.  
  
Huffing quietly in relief, he allowed himself to slump for a moment, before continuing his trek.  
  
Reaching the safe room, Cedar saw it was deserted, the door buckled inward and laying on the floor. Though old, the sniper knew Aluce to still be more than strong enough to cause such damage.  
  
It gave him hope.  
  
Aluce must have gotten away.  
  
Cedar staggered abruptly, almost going down as a wave of vertigo assaulted him. He clutched at the wall, gasping, as he waited it out. His synchronization must be fading.  
  
He still had to find Aluce.  
  
Groaning faintly, he shook his head to try to clear it, then resumed walking down the corridor. Aluce would have made for the lowest levels, the tunnels that ran beneath the base in a virtual labyrinth into the bowels of the city.  
  
He found the hidden passage, grunting as he shoved the panel out of the way enough he could slip inside, making his way to the little elevator at the end. Taking it down, he watched the numbers count down, before pressing the emergency stop on Aluce's lucky number, chuckling tiredly at the whimsy. He'd have to tease the old Reploid about it again when he found him.  
  
Stumbling from the elevator, he smiled when he spotted faint scrapes on the floor from something being dragged along. Aluce had been this way, with the briefcase. He couldn't be very far ahead, then. Perhaps he'd made it to the auxiliary safe room!  
  
Nearly tripping in his haste to reach his friend, he hurried as fast as his battered frame would allow. He'd only been to the auxiliary safe room once before, but he knew the way well enough. Just down this corridor, take this side path, around that corner, and-...  
  
"No," Cedar whispered, staring at the motionless form sprawled in the middle of the corridor.  
  
Starting forward, each step clumsy and dragging, he slowly approached the figure, eyes searching, still clinging to some shred of hope that Aluce was still alive, that he was merely injured and unconscious, like Cedar had been.  
  
Then his gaze fell on the neat hole melted through the old Reploid's back, able to glimpse the internals of his core through it, and even that small hope was dashed.  
  
His legs gave out on him then, the strength born of hope that had driven him finally deserting him as he collapsed to his knees, staring at his friend's body, at the shock and betrayal frozen on the old Reploid's face.  
  
So Red Alert's body thief had reached him after all.  
  
Cedar had failed in his duty to protect Aluce. To protect his  
friend.  
  
...he should be feeling something, shouldn't he? Rage, despair, sorrow, _anything_...right? But he was only empty, not even feeling numb.  
  
_"Over here! Squad Three, you take that hall! Squad Eight, take this one! Stay with your Commanders and keep sharp!"_  
  
The distant voices jolted Cedar back to action, the sniper glancing back the way he'd come. He'd forgotten to close the panel to the hidden passage! Now the Irregular Hunters were here, and he had no more time to linger.  
  
Biting back a curse, he struggled to his feet, casting one last look at his friend's body, before stumbling down the corridor to the hidden exit. He remembered to close that one behind him; the time the Hunters wasted searching for it gave him that much more of a head start.  
  
Reaching the surface streets, he kept to the shadows and alleys, driven by a new strength now, rage slowly filling the emptiness inside him.  
  
Unfortunately, it exceeded his frame's ability to support it, and he was soon struggling to keep moving, breaths coming in rasping gasps.  
  
That was how Dynamo found him, barely a block away from the organization's hideout. He didn't even have the energy to protest as the taller Reploid swept him up into his arms and took off in a pounding run.  
  
The sniper's head lolled against Dynamo's shoulder, eyelids drooping, until he was jiggled painfully.  
  
"C'mon, Ced, don't shut down now. You're bleeding too much."  
  
Blinking, Cedar tilted his head to stare at the hole in his chest, watching circulatory fluid trickle out in a steady stream. He must have jarred the barely-sealed tubing and started it leaking again.  
  
Odd. That should be worrying, shouldn't it?  
  
"...where are we going?" Was Dynamo taking him back to the mercenary base? That was a rather long way to run.  
  
"We're going to to see my old man."  
  
Cedar frowned. "We're going to see an old man?"  
  
Dynamo snerked. "You're funny when you're loopy, Ced."  
  
The sniper opened his mouth to protest that, but a sudden change of direction made him grunt in pain. Looking around, he realized they were on the outskirts of the city already. Dynamo must be faster than Cedar had realized, if they had made it here so quickly from the city's center.  
  
Cedar made a faint sound, closing his eyes as the speed started making him dizzy. But that only made it worse, building into a sick, light-headed feeling that had him pressing his temple against Dynamo's armor, trying to ground himself as he panted, fighting the growing impulse to purge his tank.  
  
"Still with me, Ced? We're almost there."  
  
He heard Dynamo's voice as from a distance, and not even being jostled enough to make pain flare was drawing him back this time.  
  
"Ced?...Cedar? _ **...Fuck!**_ "  


* * *

_"You're brushing his hair?"_  
  
_"Shut up. He likes it neat and tidy and shit."_  
  
Voices filtered through Cedar's ears, one familiar, one not, as conscious slowly returned. The absence of pain registered first, and he reveled in that for a moment, feeling the pleasure of systems repaired and functioning properly again.  
  
The softness of a bed beneath him came to his notice next, along with the familiar sensation of a brush moving in slow, soothing strokes through his hair. For a brief moment, his mind conjured up memories of his factory-line siblings, of brushing one's hair, while one of the others worked on his.  
  
Then the brush snagged painfully in a tangle, jerking him back to reality and reluctant coherency.  
  
" _Ow_..."  
  
"Oops," Dynamo's voice floated from somewhere behind him. "Sorry, Ced."  
  
Peeling his eyes open, he blinked at an unfamiliar ceiling, until Dynamo's upside down face leaned over him with a suspiciously relieved grin.  
  
"Welcome back to the land of the living~" the other mercenary chirped.  
  
Cedar stared at him a moment. "...where are we?"  
  
"Currently? My old room at my old man's place."  
  
...that's right. He vaguely remembered Dynamo saying something about going to his 'old man'. "Is he the one that repaired me?"  
  
"Yup. He almost had to drag you back from Lady Death's clutches, you lost so much vital fluid."  
  
The sniper grunted and shifted to push himself up, only to sink right back down when his low synchronization made his vision waver unpleasantly.  
  
Dynamo grinned sympathetically at him. "Yeah, your synchro's still damn low, so you might wanna stay there for a bit."  
  
"Noted," the sniper groaned, closing his eyes against the dizziness.  
  
"How's he doing?" an unfamiliar voice asked from the doorway, and Cedar opened his eyes again to see who the speaker was.  
  
He unwisely jerked upright a beat later, eyes wide as he realized he recognized the person standing there. Dynamo lurched forward to catch him when he almost tumbled out of the bed onto his face.  
  
Blues watched the whole thing with a raised eyebrow, taking a sip from whatever was in his mug. "So he's awake then," he observed.  
  
Cedar felt his face heating up, certain it must be brilliant red, as Dynamo helped him back onto the bed.  
  
"You're welcome to stay here until you've recovered, Cedar," Blues addressed the sniper. "You'll be safe enough here."  
  
"Thank you," Cedar murmured, voice low in mortification.  
  
The elder bot smirked faintly, turning to leave.  
  
Cedar waited until he was sure Blues was out of earshot before turning to Dynamo to hiss, "You never told me your creator was the First!"  
  
The taller Reploid grinned back. "You never asked~"  
  
Cedar sighed and shook his head. No wonder Dynamo feared nothing and no one, and got away with half the things he did.  
  
Deciding he was in no condition to deal with all this at the moment, he relaxed onto the bed, closing his eyes. Silence settled over the room, and the sniper let his systems cycle down to rest.  
  
The bed shifted with a quiet rustle as Dynamo got up, then the soothing brushstrokes to his hair started up again, and Cedar sighed softly with a faint smile.  
  
He could afford this moment to recover. Aluce wouldn't have begrudged him this, and so far as his murderer was concerned, Cedar was dead. He could wait, and he could plan.  
  
And he would make Aluce's murderer _pay_.


End file.
